Troy without a key piece of history

City has not had an official historian in 33 years despite state law

Updated 6:51 am, Monday, February 11, 2013

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Troy Mayor Lou Rosamilia speaks during a ceremony to recognize the listing of the Oakwood Avenue Presbyterian Church on the National Register of Historic Places, at the church in Troy Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Troy Mayor Lou Rosamilia speaks during a ceremony to recognize the listing of the Oakwood Avenue Presbyterian Church on the National Register of Historic Places, at the church in Troy Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013. ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

Troy without a key piece of history

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Troy's history is so rich that even its nickname, the Collar City, evokes a storied period.

But for the last 33 years, Troy has not had a city historian — even though it's required by state law.

The last city historian was H. Irving Moore, said Rensselaer County Historian Kathy Sheehan, and no one seems to know why a new historian wasn't appointed.

In 1919, the state Legislature passed a bill calling for the designation of a historian for each city, town and village in the state, as people believed it was important to identify a person who could respond to requests for information and could assist in matters of preservation. The cities of Albany, Saratoga Springs and Schenectady currently have designated historians.

These days, such a person could also assist in bringing much needed cash into city coffers, Smith said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "Path through History" initiative aims to boost tourism by investing $1 million — $100,000 for each economic development region — to promote the state's history. In fact, cultural heritage tourism is a $759 billion industry nationwide.

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Historic Troy

Troy has significant history as a center of industrial expansion. This has led to a richness of artifacts and cultural history. The Burden Iron Works Museum and Rensselaer County Historical Society have significant collections and provide research.

Some of its important aspects are:

Burden Water Wheel

Uncle Sam

Iron plates for the USS Monitor during the Civil War at the Burden Iron Works

Troy boasts many historical milestones, from being the location at which iron plates were made for the USS Monitor, to the shirts and collar manufacturing that gave the city its nickname, to being the home of meatpacker Samuel Wilson, the inspiration for Uncle Sam.

"We look for our historians to promote our communities," said Smith, who serves as the historian for Broome County and the city of Binghamton.

P. Thomas Carroll, who manages the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway, is critical of Troy officials, saying they have not been strongly supportive of promoting the city's industry. He said the city is a critical component in scientific and industrial history due to its role in the Industrial Revolution. Just this past year, Carroll led 23 groups from Hudson River tour boats on downtown visits.

"We lost $800,000 worth of visitors center to the trash heap because they wouldn't pay the rent," Carroll said, recalling funding difficulties with former Mayor Harry Tutunjian's administration that led to the closing of the center. "This is an internationally significant area," he said. "The city has to do right by its history. Troy isn't doing it."

About 20 percent of the state's more than 1,600 local historians, who generally are modestly compensated, change over annually, Smith said. Usually, they are replaced within a few months.

In his state-of-the city address, Rosamilia noted that he had spoken to a reporter about the vacancy. He said the city's "rich history is critically important," and that the city would create its first Historic District Guidelines Committee to preserve historic buildings. The city would take additional steps in its planning process to preserve historic buildings.

Not all historians are compensated. Both Schenectady city and county have designated Don Rittner, a well-known local historian, for the post. He was previously paid $25,000 each by the city and county. But in recent years, officials realized they didn't legally have to pay him, so his salary was eliminated. The city of Albany's historian, Tony Opalka, is paid a small stipend of $2,000. The historian in Saratoga Springs has a listed salary of $20,807 in the 2013 budget.

Rensselaer County went without a county historian for eight years after funding was cut in 2001. County Executive Kathleen Jimino restored the post in 2009 and named Sheehan to the job. The county gave $4,750 to the Rensselaer County Historical Society, where Sheehan works. "It's important when you realize so much of our tourism business is heritage tourism. We're ready and willing to participate in the initiative of the governor," Jimino said.

Rensselaer County reported that the county's tourism business saw visitors spend $100.2 million in 2011, resulting in 2,210 jobs and $6,152,000 in local tax revenues.